Softball team loses pair on the road

The Eastern Florida State College lost both ends of a Southern Conference doubleheader on the road to Indian River State College, putting the Pioneers on the cusp of winning another conference championship.

The Titans are one game ahead of Miami Dade for second place after the 6-1 and 13-6 losses in Fort Pierce.

In Game 1 the Titans left nine players on base while the Pioneers took a 5-0 lead early in the game. Eastern Florida State College would score in the top of the fifth inning after a couple of rain delays. Sophomore Caitlin Meyer drove in a run with a double to right-center field.

It was the only run Eastern Florida State College would score in the first game, falling 6-1.

The Titans got out of the gate quickly in Game 2 behind Nikki Pennington's ninth home run, a two-run shot in the top of the first inning. Pennington has now hit four home runs in five games against Indian River State College.

After the Pioneers scored four times in the bottom of the first inning, the Titans struck back with two more runs as Madison Neuhaus stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and hits a two-run single to tie the game. Still tied 4-4 in the top of the third, Meyer and Pennington once again drove in runs as each had RBI singles to give the Titans a 6-4 lead.

But in the bottom of the fourth inning the Pioneers scored four more times to take an 8-6 lead. It would stay that way until the bottom of the sixth inning when Indian River State College scored five times.

The Titans will be back at Titan Softball Complex on Saturday against Broward College in a Southern Conference game. Eastern Florida State College won the first three meetings and the first game begins at 1 p.m.